remind my colleagues that the andean trade preference act was first enacted by president george herbert walker bawshes a way to -- as a way to boost the illicit economies of several andean nations that were major producers of illicit -- of illegal drugs. over the past two decades, this program has been supported by democratic and republican presidents. it's been reauthorized in democratic and republican congresses and it has been widely recognized as a success, creating jobs for workers who can sell cheaper imports to american consumers as a result of these trade preferences while also supporting the economic development of strategically important countries in our hemisphere. one of these countries is colombia. we've listen rightly focused on other parts of the world over the past decade. but one of the untold success stories is colombia's transformation from a failed state to a thriving democracy has been one of the world's great stories. and one of the greatest bipartisan triumphs of u.s. foreign policy in recent memory. through the courage and perseverence of the colombian people, the government an